Bottled Up
by EmrysTheMerlin
Summary: Arthur was not expecting to receive a very spunky fairy as a birthday gift. Nor did he expect her to start a chain of events that could make or break Camelot. This little fairys name? Merlin. AU Fem! Merlin Fairy! Knights
1. Birthdays

**Authors Note: I blame this entirely on dress up games and my massive headache. I own nothing. **

Bottled Up

1. Birthday surprise

Prince Arthur Pendragon was not expecting much for his coming of age. Well you know aside from that whole 'you will inherit the kingdom someday' thing. He wasn't expecting many presents. Maybe a few swords, daggers, and other weapons. He was not expecting what he got.

"Sire I took seven of my best trained men with me to, shall we say, acquire your gift." The knight in question held up a small box.

"Be careful my lord, it is fragile and dangerous. I lost six men to retrieve it." Arthur frowned, the box was only slightly bigger than his hand. He nodded to the knight as the man set it down on the box on the table in front of him. His father nodded and Arthur's curiosity peaked. His father approved of this loss for his gift. Why?

Hours passed and finally the feast was finished. Arthur wanted to know what was in that box. His useless boring bootlicker of a manservant was carrying most of his presents but he carried the small box. It was warm in his hand and so small. How could it be dangerous? More hours past and George got him ready for bed and finally left. He sat at his desk looking at the package. It was a simple box wrapped in colored paper, a gold ribbon circled the box and he pulled it opened easily enough. He tore the paper. Then he lifted the lid and looked in. His jaw practically hit the floor.

Inside the box was a bottle. It was the size of his closed fist. It seemed to be made of plain glass, a normal cork pressed into the opening and several small silver chains wrapped around the cork. But it was the contents of the bottle that fascinated the prince of Camelot now.

Curled up in a relaxed ball against the side of the bottle was a figure. A tiny female figure in a blue shirt that had clearly seen better days a brown skirt in similar condition to the shirt and brown leggings that had holes torn in the knees, she wore a pair of red gloves that were barely recognizable as such and a torn cloak held on by scratched and dented gold shoulder plates. She had short dark brown hair the color of a hawks feathers and skin the color of new fallen snow. For a second Arthur thought she might be dead. But then she moved, shifting until she was lying curled up on her side. She was so small he could have held her in the palm of his hand and covered her entirely with his fingers. Well he could do that now, she was in the bottle and he almost did just that tipping the bottle over to get a better look at her when she shifted and groaned.

Then he saw them. A tiny set of wings growing from her back. They were blue and ragged like her clothes they had been beautiful once, now they were just sad. Tattered like everything else. Her feet were bare and their soles were covered in mud and what looked a bit like blood. She had scratches on her feet and face and her arms were not unscathed either. She looked like she had been through a battle.

She was restless even in sleep and looked like she was in pain. There were flower petals and a few leaves at the bottom of the bottle. Arthur felt something tug at his heart. She was glowing a soft gold and as Arthur lifted the bottle up to his eyelevel her damaged wings fluttered and her eyes opened. They were bright sapphire blue and glinted the minute they opened. She tried to shoot up but wobbled and fell curling in a ball and gasping as her broken wings flittered. She groaned and Arthur felt that tug at his heart again.

"Are you alright?" She clapped her hands to her ears. That bottle must have worked like an echo chamber.

"Sorry. Are you alright?" Arthur whispered. She looked up at him and frowned.

"No I am not bloody alright! Where am I? Who are you? You're not that bastard knight who attacked us, so who are you?" She spoke brashly and her hand went to an empty scabbard on her left thigh.

"I am Prince Arthur Pendragon of Camelot, and it appears that 'that bastard knight', whose name is Sir Dryren by the way, gave you to me as my birthday present. As to where you are, you're sitting in a bottle in my hand. You know for a fairy you're a bit of an idiot." He held the bottle up near the candle so he could see her a bit better. She stuck out her tongue at him.

"And for a prince you're a prat." He frowned.

"You're very rude for someone in your position." He shook the bottle a bit to illustrate his point, and immediately regretted it when she slipped and hit her head on the side of the bottle and curled up into a ball tiny tears trickling down her cheeks.

"Sorry! I didn't mean for that to happen." She glared at him, her eyes flashed gold and the bottle shook without Arthur shaking it.

"Oh no of course you didn't. You've just got me magically bound in a bottle and plan to what? Have me killed, fed to your dogs? Do what you want with me but at least tell me what you've done with my people." She looked worried and angrier than ever, despite her height she looked a bit intimidating.

"No idea. Sir Dryren said he lost six men getting to you, what happened to them?" She glared at him.

"What do you do when you are attacked _Prince Arthur_?" She spat the words at him, gold fire glowing in her eyes.

"They attacked us, we defended ourselves. What would you have done?! They came out of nowhere! Attacked us from behind, there were children playing outside!" Her voice caught in her throat and she glared up at him seeming determined not to give in to the tears glittering in her eyes.

"I'm sorry." Her glare dropped and she pulled her knees up to her chest wrapping her arms around them as if for warmth. Arthur saw it then, the tears in her eyes the despair there. Her shoulders were trembling and her wings, so sad and so damaged, seemed to sag. She had glowed brighter when she was angry. Now that gold glow that surrounded her, though it remained contained inside the bottle sealed as it was with silver chains. Those chains contained magic, kept her where she was.

"No you're not. Just kill me and have done with it." More tears made their way down her face as she looked down at her knees. Arthur felt that mysterious tug at his heart again and this time he listened. He would later see that as the greatest decision he would ever make.

"I'm not going to kill you. Why would I you're harmless, well as long as you're in that bottle. But you do need to learn how to address your betters." She glared at him; if looks could kill he'd be on the floor with a broken bottle in his hand and a vengeful fairy on the loose. But all she could do was glare as he walked across his room and opened a drawer on his bedside table. He set the bottle down inside the drawer.

"And here you'll stay until you learn to behave." He closed the drawer and heard the bottle fall over. A small gasp came from the drawer, shortly followed by a string of curses. He stifled a laugh and finished preparing for bed. As he went to blow out the candle he heard a noise from the drawer. He paused and opened it slightly. The bottle rolled and he quickly stopped it with his hand. Its occupant did not wake up. She was asleep and she was crying. Arthur felt his heart crack a little at the site. But what could he do? He was only a prince and his father had very strict laws about magic. As long as she was useless, trapped and bound inside the bottle she wasn't a threat. She was a trophy of a war Arthur had fought battles in many times but never truly seen any point to.

He rolled back over and looked up at the ceiling. After a while the noises stopped and he checked once more on the bottled fairy. It occurred to him that he didn't know her name.

She was deeply asleep, no more tears to cry she had slipped into a dreamless sleep. He sighed and looked back up at the ceiling. What was he going to do?


	2. Pocket Sized Problems

**Authors Note: Yeah headaches and too many games. I would just like to give AzaleasDolls Credit for the image. She's brilliant she is. Wonderful games beautiful designs. Love them. I own nothing. **

2. Pocket sized Problems

Arthur woke up to the sound of a knock on his door. The drawer snored lightly. That got his attention, and then he saw the bottle and relaxed a little.

"Come in." She started awake at his voice and glared up at him. The door opened and instead of his useless bootlicker Lady Morgana's best friend and maid came in, eyes cast down respectfully.

"My apologies sire, but George is ill and cannot serve you today. I'll be stepping in on his behalf this morning and Moris is to be assisting you on the training ground." Arthur nodded and sat up. The drawer yawned and Gwen jumped a little.

"Sire?"

"Yes?"

"What was that?" Arthur grinned and picked up the bottle out of his drawer.

"That was this; Sir Dryren gave it to me as a birthday present." The tiny girl crossed her arms and huffed.

"First off I am not an it, I'm a girl. Secondly I have a name, not that you bothered to ask for it. And thirdly I am not a possession! I am a living breathing fairy. Also I think she may have stopped breathing Arthur…" Arthur looked up at Gwen who looked shocked at the bottle in his hand.

"She's harmless, as long as she's in here. Shouldn't you be helping Morgana? And tell her I don't appreciate her sending you to spy on me. She's corrupting you, don't let her." Arthur laughed, Gwen simply curtsied after setting down the breakfast tray. She curtsied again and left. Arthur shook his head.

"What?" The bottled fairy asked sitting on her knees as the bottle was too small to stand up in.

"Everyone's a bootlicker, at least around me." The fairy barked a laugh.

"DUH! You're their prince, though really you are an ass." He frowned at the bottle. There was silence for a moment while he set her down next to the tray and sat down in front of the tray. He began to eat and go over his daily schedule in his mind when he heard a sigh from the bottle. He looked down and almost laughed. The girl was sitting playing with a hole in her leggings looking very bored. He continued to eat in silence however until it seemed the fairy could take it no more.

"You know why you're an ass, besides the whole keeping me in a bottle thing?" Arthur rolled his eyes.

"That whole talk we had yesterday and not once did you ask me my name. I thought knights were supposed to have chivalry. Well that's the legend anyway, I've never met a knight who had any kind of chivalry. Attacking unarmed children from behind? That's low even for you lot." Arthur glared down at her. Who was she to accuse him of being un-chivalrous? He conveniently forgot that she was his prisoner, bound inside a bottle that was too small for her anyway.

"Who are you to lecture me on chivalry?" She crossed her arms at him and kicked the side of the bottle.

"I'm the sixteen year old fairy trapped in a jar, who is being kept as a trophy by a prince who hasn't asked my name in the several hours he has known me. I'm stuck in a jar that's too small for me to stand up in. You call this chivalry?! I'd hate to see what you call inhospitable." She leaned back against the jars side.

Arthur frowned down at her and was about to respond when someone knocked on his door. He snatched the bottle off the table and quickly shoved it in the nearest drawer he could find.

"Keep quiet." He hissed and called to the door.

"Enter." Moris entered and helped Arthur into his armor. He dismissed him to the training field. Then he went back over to the drawer and opened it, pulling out the bottle and making sure the girl was unharmed.

"Ow. Was that necessary, you prat?" She rubbed her head. He set her down, this time on his bedside table behind a book and a candlestick.

"Yes it was. I don't want everyone to know you're here. I mean I'm not sure what my father would do." The fairy frowned.

"Are you actually trying to be a gentleman?" Arthur shook his head, then nodded, then shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Maybe you're just fun to tease. Now stay here until I get back." The fairy glared at him.

"It's not like I'm going anywhere." She grumbled. He was almost out the door when he remembered.

"What's your name anyway?" She flashed him a smile then stuck out her tongue again.

"It's Merlin, you prat." He rolled his eyes and left. He did not lock the door however. He really should have, as that would have prevented Lady Morgana sneaking into his room with her maid servant Gwen once they were sure Arthur was busy training.

"You're sure Gwen?" The dark skinned maid nodded vigorously.

"Of course My Lady, I saw her with my own eyes. The size of my fist and locked up in a bottle that's not much bigger." Morgana frowned and shook her head.

"I knew Dryren was that kind of man but I never thought that Arthur would stoop that low." Morgana scanned the room and found what she was looking for on Arthur's bedside table. The bottle was a bit larger than Arthur's closed fist and the tiny figure inside it was a little smaller than that. She looked like she had been beaten up pretty badly. She was pale and looked like she was falling asleep. Morgana crept forward and knelt down to look at the bottle. The fairy jumped and looked over at her, rubbing her head since she had bumped it on the bottle.

"It's ok; we're here to help you." The fairy looked up at her confused. Morgana gently picked up the bottle and tucked it in her pocket. Merlin for her part had no idea what was going on and wasn't sure she wanted to know what was going to happen next.


	3. Broken Wings

**Authors Note: Dear god it's been a while since I updated anything… I'm so sorry. Midterms suck! Anyway you've all asked for it and here it is! I own nothing!**

3. Broken Wings

Merlin blinked hard when next her bottle was brought into the light. When she managed to see again she was sitting on a table with the two women from earlier, one a beautiful elegant woman with long black hair and brown eyes and pale skin the other a girl with skin the color of a new oak sapling and dark hair. Her eyes were kind and both were kneeling to be on the same level as the bottle. The pale one was frowning as she reached for the chains that held the bottle closed. Merlin flinched slightly and the women exchanged glances.

"It's alright, we won't hurt you. We're going to let you out. I'm Morgana and this is my best friend Gwen. What's your name?" The pale one asked as she unwound the chains and Merlin felt her magic coming back to the surface now that the restraining metal was gone.

"I'm Merlin. Thank you." She stood carefully as the cork was removed. Careful not to strain anything she hauled herself up onto the rim of the bottle. She smiled up at the two concerned faces. Gwen especially looked like she wanted to mother the young fairy but restrained herself.

"Nice to meet you Merlin. Can I help you off that bottle?" Morgana asked extending her hand carefully. Merlin shook her head. Everything was sore, even her wings but she should be fine to make the short hop from the top of the bottle to the tabletop.

She did not expect air to rush through her wings when she leapt, nor the pain that pulled a cry of pain from her lips. She tumbled, unable to correct her fall despite her flailing arms. She landed hard on her backside as the bottle went spinning across the table and off the edge. Merlin barely registered the sound of shattering glass as she sat stunned. Her wings tried to extend but they were shredded and could not extend beyond her shoulders. She craned her neck to look at what remained of her once beautiful wings. She was too shocked to cry when she saw the mangled remnants.

Gwen's hands had flown to her mouth when the fairy fell, shredded wings unable to hold her up. Morgana was close to tears in sympathy for the tiny girl. She was in shock that was clear as she reached up to run a hand over what was left of her wings.

"I can't fly." Merlin whispered it but Morgana heard her, the defeat and fear that ate at Morgana's heartstrings. A fairy was defined by their wings and without them she was defenseless, her one way of getting around without help taken from her. Tiny silver tears slid down her face and dropped like crystal off the sharp angles of her cheekbones. Gwen was crying silently now as well, every trace of fear of the magical creature gone from her eyes. Morgana reached around the fairy and dumped a small bag of clothes next to her, she didn't even seem to notice.

"We found these, Gwen told me the state your clothes were in and I thought you might find something useful here. We've also got some cream for your injuries and some bandages. I don't know what we can do for your wings but we would love to help." Merlin scrubbed at her eyes and smiled a lopsided smile that spoke of nothing but gratitude.

"Thanks, you know it's rare to find anyone in Camelot who'd be willing to help me. Or near Camelot for that matter. I really appreciate it." She looked over at the pile of clothes and her eyes flashed gold. They began to sort through themselves and eventually a pair of brown trousers a blue bodice and a brown jacket flew out of the pile and folded themselves next to the fairy. She grinned up at the pair of astonished girls. Her eyes had faded back to that dazzling sapphire blue. She looked around.

"Um, would you mind if I borrowed some water? I really want to wash off; it's been a hard couple of days." Morgana smiled and nodded to Gwen who poured a cup of steaming water and set it down next to the fairy. She grinned at them again. As she eased out of her torn and ruined clothes Morgana barely held back a gasp. She was bruised from top to bottom; her legs had several cuts covered in dried blood. Her torso was less colorful but her back was a mess of purples and greens around her wing joints. She wore a necklace Morgana hadn't noticed before. It seemed to be made out of rose vines, complete with thorns. A small blood red rose sat at the base of her neck and in the center of the rose was a tiny gem. It was bright gold but not made of metal, even from so far away Morgana could tell.

Merlin eased herself into the hot water with a sigh as Gwen excused herself to complete her chores. Morgana opened a book near the fairy and sat down to read as the tiny girl cleaned herself off and eventually changed into the clothes she had chosen. Morgana watched her out of the corner of her eye. She cut two slim slits in the shirt and carefully slipped into it and positioned her wings in the slits. She dressed her wounds and gave the jacket the same treatment. She looked at her wings critically.

"Can you heal them?" Merlin didn't look up at Morgana's question but shook her head.

"No. They have to heal on their own. It'll take a few weeks. Until then it looks like I'm stuck here. Unless you turn me in, then I'll get killed. But I don't think you would." Morgana nodded.

"I wouldn't. I promise, I've seen too many deaths because of Uther. I won't add another." Merlin smiled at her. Elsewhere a small figure flitted close to the ceiling. He was taking great pains not to be seen, as was his companion. They flitted from alcove to alcove unnoticed by the incompetent guards of Camelot. They were on a mission, call it search and rescue if you will. And neither were quite sure what would happen to them but their goal was more important than their own safety. They were searching the library when the door banged open and they dove behind a large stack of books.

"Prince Arthur, this is quite a surprise." Geoffrey of Marmouth exclaimed looking up. The prince frowned but ignored the implications of that statement.

"I'm looking for a book on fairies, can you point me in the right direction?" The aged librarian raised an eyebrow but knew better than to ask. He turned to his shelves and pulled down several books.

"These are the best places to start in any research involving the fey. Perhaps if you could narrow your search?" Arthur shook his head and plopped down in a chair with the first of the two dusty tomes. Lancelot and Gwaine exchanged glances from behind the stack of books just to Arthurs left. What were they going to do now?


	4. Knights of the Silver Wings

**Authors Note: I promised Fairy Knights didn't I? I always keep my promises, or at least I try to. Ok so general updateyness. I have so many stories in the works. I've got a Steampunk AU for Merlin. I've got one for my series, well more like three but I digress. I've got to pull out the rest of The Princes Players and then this one… I have so much to do… But as Winston Churchill says '****_Kbo. Keep buggering on._****' And so I shall. I own nothing.**

4. Knights of the Silver Wings

Arthur flipped open the book and began to read. It wasn't all that exciting but he read anyway.

'_The fey are said to be some of the most magical beings to walk this or any earth. Where they come from is unknown but many are said to be from Avalon itself. Several live in well forested areas and only interact with humans to play tricks or bestow gifts. Many fairy gifts come with a price or are simply a means to an end. Fairies are tricksters but usually not too powerful. While they have the advantage of flight they are only learned in one kind of magic if any. They will keep to themselves more than they will interact with any beings magical or non. _

_ There are regularly recorded sightings of a fairy settlement some leagues away from Camelot in the Darkling woods. These are regular woodland fairies. In the time before King Uther Pendragon the royalty and the fairy leaders had regular relations. The last recorded Queen of the Fairies was Hunith Emrys. Though it is rare for fairies to take human lovers she did so, in a way. Her husband was the famed Dragonlord Balinor Emrys. It is known that Queen Hunith had a child though no more is recorded about them. _

_ Fairies have the power to turn humans into their own kind and can sometimes take on human size. They are tricksters at heart, never trust a fairy.' _This was where the passage ended and Arthur sighed exasperatedly. The only new information that had provided him with was the name of the fairy king and queen. That wasn't going to be very useful. He flipped open the second book.

'_Fairies are beautiful but they are also powerful. However there is a prophecy that one day born to a mortal lord and a fairy Queen there will be the most powerful fairy ever to walk this or any other earth. She will be the making of a great kingdom and the destruction of a broken one. She will stand at the side of the greatest king to ever live for they are made for each other. Without her the throne will never be his for he will die without her. Without him she will lose her wings and her purpose for without him her magic has no purpose. ~Druid Prophecies.'_ Arthur rolled his eyes. That was of no use to him at all.

The two knights watched him carefully, knowing that he would lead them to their friend. They had to find her fast. Lancelot glanced at Gwaine as Arthur stood to leave. Gwaine nodded and they flitted after him.

Merlin sat on the edge of Morgana's table swinging her legs back and forth watching the girl read. She was not content to sit in silence but she didn't want to disturb the work Morgana was doing. Morgana for her part wasn't getting much work done anyway, her attention kept flitting back to the fairy sitting not two feet from her hand.

She had not been too surprised when Gwen had come running to her that morning telling her of a fairy trapped in Arthur's room. She had dreamed often of this fairy and even told Giaus everything about her. Giaus had shied from the subject every time, almost as if he knew something he shouldn't. But she could never get him to talk about her. She sighed and set down her quill.

"I cannot focus, I'm too curious! So Merlin, where are you from?" Merlin grinned slightly. She stretched slightly, wincing as she pulled on her wings and bruised muscles.

"Not very far from here. We call it Ealdor, it's a small corner of the Darkling woods near Cenred's kingdom." Morgana propped her chin up on her elbows as the ever twitchy fairy climbed up onto the stack of books in front of Morgana and began to regale her with stories of the fairies home. Morgana could tell that they would be fast friends.

Arthur stalked to his rooms to change out of his armor and think. He wanted to talk to the fairy again, she had said her name was Merlin. He wanted to know about her life, why she was in Camelot at all. He wanted to know if she'd been telling the truth when she'd accused his knights of misconduct. Attacking someone's home without provocation while children might have been caught in the crossfire was wrong on so many levels.

So deep in thought was he that he didn't notice the absence of the bottle at first. Not until he had changed out of his armor into a red tunic and breeches and looked directly at his nightstand did his heart skip a beat. The bottle and its prisoner were gone. No glass shards, no trace. His mind went through several scenarios rather quickly, most involving his father finding her and having her killed violently. But then he caught the faintest scent in the air. Morgana's perfume. He swore.

Lancelot and Gwaine watched all of this from behind the books stacked on the Princes desk and dodged under his bed when he turned their way. Lancelot looked over at Gwaine.

"She's not here." Gwaine rolled his eyes.

"No really? What tipped you off? Her absence or the Princess of Camelot swearing like someone's just stolen his favorite toy, which is a distinct possibility." Lancelot frowned at him and leaned against the bedpost. He was deep in thought, his tanned skin shadowed by the overhanging bed linens his dark hair almost blended with the shadows around him. His wings were what set him apart. They were bright silver, the same color as the sword that hung at his hip. Gwaine's brown hair and scruffy facial features did little to hide him here, deep in enemy territory but like Lancelot his bright silver wings would give him away first. Most people wouldn't look very manly with a pair of glowing wings growing from their backs but Lancelot and Gwaine made it work like no one else could. But their good looks aside they were very much out of place under Prince Arthur Pendragons bed, a fact he couldn't help but think about when he lifted the overhang to find them looking very shocked to have been discovered.


End file.
